Here's Proof that Paid Parental Leave Is Good for Business

Paid family and medical leave is often criticized as a "job killer" in the United States, with opponents arguing that giving new parents paid time off leads to higher unemployment. But a study published Thursday by the Center for American Progress finds that in fact, these programs could help employers by "decreasing costly turnover, saving on health care costs, and boosting productivity."

Paid family and medical leave is catching on more slowly than paid sick leave nationwide. But the report found that in the three states that have implemented it—California, Rhode Island, and New Jersey—unemployment actually decreased over the first year. The report also found that in 16 out of the 19 cities that have implemented paid sick day laws, unemployment also decreased after a year. (Two of the three cities where unemployment increased implemented the laws during the recession.) Connecticut, California, and Massachusetts, which implemented paid sick days statewide, also recorded lower unemployment rates after a year.

The issue of paid time off could be bipartisan; one of the first real policies then-Republican nominee Donald Trump proposed back in September was paid maternity leave, though the mechanisms behind his plan were confusing at best. (And it came from the man who once said pregnant employees were "certainly an inconvenience for a business.")

Unfortunately, that plan will most likely get lost in the flurry of presidential Russia-befriending, Obamacare-repealing, and immigrant-booting, even though 68 percent of Trump voters support a national program for paid family and medical leave. But this new report provides solid evidence to lawmakers on city and state levels that paid family and medical leave isn't the "job killer" some might think.

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